History

"History is for human self-knowledge ... the only clue to what man can do is what man has done. The value of history, then, is that it teaches us what man has done and thus what man is." - R.G. Collingwood

Intent

History fires children's curiosity about the past; the world in which they are living and how it has been shaped by the people and events before them. As they study History, children will develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people; what previous societies were like; and how their beliefs and values influenced their lives. They will see the diversity of the human experience and come to understand more about themselves as individuals and as part of a wider society.

The vision of our History curriculum is to afford the children the opportunity to question, debate and reflect upon matters that have occurred and to build on knowledge acquired in order to evaluate how past events have shaped the present. Different perspectives and viewpoints are essential. Such understanding promotes questioning in other areas of the curriculum and in life.

Through work in History, we aim to:

Stimulate children's natural sense of inquisitiveness and enquiry.
Create responsible, active citizens who contribute positively to society.
Encourage children to develop an interest in the past, so that they will come to realise the importance of the past in the construction of a modern society.
Give the children access to wide variety of primary and secondary sources.
Provide children with as much experience as possible of historical artefacts and sites in order to learn to interpret and evaluate evidence.
Relate History to other subject areas, and in doing so, foster a wider perspective about why things occur.

Planning